Feather mites may be munching away
at your canary right now.
Feather Mites...Make sure your canary doesn't turn into mite poop by morning.
As the name indicates these mites live in and feed on the feathers of your canary or other pet bird. Some of these mites even burrow into the shaft of the feather and eat until the feather is dead!
Although these feather mites are not a threat to your bird's life they may be a threat to his sanity!
Feather Mites in Canaries
***Symptoms***
A pretty good indication that there is a mite problem is...
Bald Spots.
No one likes a bald bird...
Don't confuse bald spots with the annual molt however. During molt your canary will look a little shaggy but an otherwise normal looking canary with a bald spot is probably feather mites.
Bald spots may me be due to other conditions as well such as stress or malnutrition or even...
Feather Plucking.
Your bird may get so irritated by these
mites he will start plucking his feathers out. And... Once your canary starts feather plucking it can
develop into a terrible I suggest you treat for mites on a regular
basis to prevent this from happening. See how in a minute.
But first... If you suspect feather mites hold your bird up to a
light, spread his wing out and look for... Tiny Holes in the Shafts of the Feather.
habit-->He may continue feather plucking even
after all mites have been sent packing. And, of course, he'll be so preoccupied with the mites he'll probably stop singing and that's a big bummer.
Some feather mites actually burrow into the shaft of
the feather. If you see holes...you've got mites...or at least your
canary does.
But...
Not all mites burrow into the feathers so...
Just because you don't see the holes doesn't mean
your canary has no mites. He may have red mites instead, but...
If you DO see holes it's definitely time to step up
your canary care and start...
***Eradication...***
Mite spray will do a lot of good for killing mites in the cracks
and crevices of the cage as well as on your pet bird's feathers.
However...
These spray treatments will only kill the adult mites so you'll have to treat 3 or 4 times at 7 day intervals to make sure
your getting the mite larvae as they hatch out.
Mathew M. Vriends
gives good advice on the use of mite treatments...
"Pay special attention to nooks and crannies and dark corners in
your birds' accommodations. When treating individual birds, apply
the (spray) throughout the plumage, paying special attention to the
area around the neck, the vent, the eyes or mouth."
Use a mite treatment every 3 months even if you DON'T see mite symptoms. It will help keep your bird's feathers and skin mite free and... ...will keep him singing...and FLYING!
Mite and lice spray is very affordable. You will find it at your local pet store or at Petsmart.com.
Mite and Lice Spray AND Skin and Feather Spray
Ya' know...You can have this kind of information delivered regularly to your email box...
CanaryAdvisor.com's Canary Tips! Ezine delivers only new and immediately usable canary care information that...
...Keeps your canary S-I-N-G-I-N-G!
Thousands of canary lovers are enjoying
their monthly
Canary Tips! --
Read what some have to
say and sign up...Click here.
Sign up now...It's FREE.
Have you read about Red Mites yet? Please do...These pests are the
vampires of the mite kingdom...sucking blood at night and going into hiding
during the day...Click
here now to go there.
Return from Feather Mites to Canary Disease Main Page. Do you have a great story or tip about canary health care? Share it! It may be of great interest and assistance to other canary owners. Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Canary Lost Singing
Have A Great Story or Tip About This Topic?
What Other Visitors Have Said
My canary got sick and is making some noise when breathing. And after that he lost his voice is no singing any more he try but nothing is coming out, …